Lose that holiday weight!

December 27, 2002

Albany-- It's hard to resist all those tasty temptations that come with the holidays. The candies, casseroles, buttered biscuits--so good, but oh so bad when it comes to the battle of the bulge. From Thanksgiving to New Year's, the average weight gain is six to sixteen pounds! Many people admit they've packed on a few pounds this holiday--and if you are one of them, you can get back into fighting shape.

Brent Driggers says he has put on a few pounds this Christmas, "Yeah, probably a little and the months leading up to it. It's the whole holiday thing, no control." But, without a little control, a few extra pounds can quickly become a much bigger problem.

Tony Powell, owner of Tony's Gym, says "During the holidays you have a tendency to see workouts drop off a bit." Margery Smith says, "My New Year's resolution is to continue or reactivate my walking, in the colder weather and the holidays I haven't been able to do this."

Walking is a great way to burn off those extra calories. Even if you haven't worked out much before, starting off slow with just 15 or 20 minutes on the treadmill a few times a week is a good beginning. Tony says, "The key is consistency--sticking with an exercise program, because you are not going to get in shape and lose the pounds in two to three weeks, you have to stick with it."

Once you get moving it's time to make some new moves at the grocery store--right to the fresh fruits and vegetables. Picking these low calorie foods will help you lose the weight even faster.

Tony Powell at Tony's Gym in Albany recommends beginners to start slow, doing cardiovascular workouts two to three times a week and lifting weights two to three times a week as well. A healthy weight loss is about one to two pounds a week--so each month you could burn off four to eight pounds.